Firstly I ought to say that apart from me its hard to see who this film will appeal to. Was this review helpful? In the 17th century, a pirate captain is murdered by his cook after he buries his treasure and marks it on a map but the poor-memory cook must rely on the captain's ghost to re-track the loot, since the map was drawn in disappearing ink. 6 out of 7 found this helpful. "The Great McGonagall" no doubt amused its makers, who thought it would be funny to send up a bad poet endlessly mocked by fate and society, but on screen it's no "Ed Wood" of poesy. In one scene Spike and the wonderful Victor Spinetti, who appears in numerous roles, do several takes much to the annoyance of very real director Joseph McGrath. Milligan is excellent, playing the role with great determination. Format: VHS Tape. Unfortunately, it takes a concept that would have been appropriate for a five minute skit and stretches it out an additional hour and a half. McGonagall was a great poet. McGonagall is presented as a believably bad poet - someone you could expect to outsell all other Scottish poets combined, simply because his work is so mind-bogglingly banal. By the time Milligan was well enough to try his own hand at film acting, it was already the 1970s and he had become passe. Deconstructs itself before your very eyes. The film is a loose adaptation of the life of William "Topaz" Mcgonagall, said to be the worst poet circa 1890. This is the film that "Wind From the East" so desperately wanted to be. His talent made him a sort of Victorian
The Great McGonagall [VHS] Spike Milligan (Actor), Peter Sellers (Actor), Joseph McGrath (Director) & Rated: PG. It has a Goon Show cast does Monty Python skit feel. Directed by Joseph McGrath. Was this review helpful? Comedy This is just a mess, only watch and indeed buy if your a completest and want to see all of Milligans/Sellers work. Celebrate National Dog Day with a look at some shows that feature a few of the most adorable dogs on TV.Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? The book illustrated the worst poets and poetry (in the opinion of the editors) in modern English literature (Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and Medieval masters like Chaucer, were not included). Two young children befriend the old musician, brightening his otherwise colorless life. reading Mcgonagall's poetry. Was this review helpful? To really enjoy it i think that you have to love the real poet Mcgonagall (otherwise you will miss the hilarious fact that all the poetry read in the film is quite real and written seriously) and have to appreciate the very surreal pythonesque humor (such as Prince Albert being dressed as Hitler from the waist up). 3.2 out of 5 stars 32 ratings. 2 out of 8 found this helpful. This film is totally hilarious. While Richard Lester is more associated with "The Goon Shpw" -- thanks to "The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film," it's McGrath who conveys the true Goonish sense of intellectual lunacy. 5 out of 7 found this helpful. The Great McGonagall [1974] [DVD] Spike Milligan (Actor), Peter Sellers (Actor), Joseph McGrath (Director) & Rated: Suitable for 15 years and over Format: DVD. A retired entertainer makes his living as a street musician on the streets of London. 1 out of 1 found this helpful. Spinetti is hilarious in at least 5 different roles. The Great McGonagall UK Quad Directed byJoseph McGrath Written byJoseph McGrath Spike Milligan StarringSpike Milligan Peter Sellers Julia Foster John Bluthal Victor Spinetti Music byJohn Shakespeare CinematographyJohn Mackey Edited byRusty Coppleman Distributed byTigon British Film Productions Release date 22 January 1975 Running time 85 Mins CountryUnited Kingdom LanguageEnglish The Great McGonagall is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Spike Milligan in th… 7 out of 13 found this helpful. A corrupt hospital administrator decides to get as much money as possible from the patients by any means necessary - lie, cheat or steal. Spike plays the eponymous hero of the movie, the Great Mcgonagall, the worlds worst poet who "gave up his job as an unemployed weaver to follow the muse." It doesn't surprise me that the Director is the same guy who gave us the equally idiotic "The Magic Christian" but at least that had its moments and a top-notch cast, very amateurish, looks like its been filmed on a budget of £50 and on a cheap camcorder, what were they thinking!